With just one day left before a potential shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Rob Portman today voted against funding the agency and in favor of a shutdown. The bill that Portman opposed would fully fund DHS without politically motivated policy riders and passed the Senate on a bipartisan basis.

Ron Johnson has once again stepped in it while trying to defend his support for a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Yesterday on the Vicki McKenna radio show, Johnson agreed with the host who said there “will be no such thing as a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.”

Ron Johnson has been making the rounds on cable news, trying to publicly abdicate all responsibility for his role in driving us closer to a DHS shutdown. Today, despite chairing the Homeland Security Committee, Johnson essentially shrugged his shoulders when pushed on Fox News about his responsibility to strike a compromise.

With just five days until the funding for the Department of Homeland Security expires, and local first responders in Wisconsin already dealing with the fallout from Johnson’s political games, Republicans returned from recess with no plan to keep the agency operating.

Senator Jon Tester, Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, issued the following statement this morning on Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander’s announcement that he is running for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat:

As the Republican Senate majority continues to move full speed ahead towards a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) despite the risks to national security and public safety, Ron Johnson is refusing to back down on his push to shut down the DHS. Just yesterday, Johnson urged his party to continue their political posturing:

As the Republican Senate majority inches closer to a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with no plan in sight, Ron Johnson continues to ignore the direct consequences of a DHS shutdown to Wisconsin – including the fact that a DHS shutdown could leave local fire departments lacking funding and without necessary equipment.